The long-anticipated opening weekend for the New York Islanders at UBS Arena recently went from a dream to reality. Although the Islanders lost their home opener to the Calgary Flames and lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs the next night, UBS Arena was, in my opinion, the best arena in the NHL.

I had the privilege of being in attendance for opening weekend, so let’s go over my experience.

When entering the building, ushers, security guards and other staff members greeted fans with a “welcome home.” And the building truly does feel like home.

On both concourses, there is variety of food and drink choices. One thing that makes UBS Arena so special is that they have many “self-checkout” vendor stands which make the process of getting food or drinks much easier. It is also way easier to use the restroom at UBS Arena without having to miss some of the game.

The Islanders’ team store is magnificent, too. A fan sitting next to me described the feeling like being a kid walking into Disneyland. The team store includes almost all of your Islanders’ needs, from pucks to sweatshirts to jerseys.

Another highlight of UBS Arena is the Tailgate Bar located between sections 301 and 326. The bar allows fans to socialize and get beverages.

The stadium full of 17,255 fans has been sold out in each of the first four games played. There are many similarities between UBS Arena and Nassau Coliseum. The low roof is the most noticeable. But unlike Nassau Coliseum, UBS Arena is a multi-concourse building.

Therefore, in my opinion, UBS Arena is the nicest arena in the NHL. And this should be music to the ears of every Islanders’ fan out there.

Jacob

Writer for Drive4Five covering the New York Islanders.